District staff moderated discussion sessions and presented studies during the 8th Biennial Conference on Stormwater Research and Watershed Management. The conference, which was held in late April, was co-sponsored by the District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
The two-day conference provided a forum to discuss and debate a wide range of stormwater treatment and watershed management ideas and issues and provide initial peer review.
The conference attracts attendees and session leaders from throughout the nation.
“The biennial stormwater conferences, which began in 1989, have grown from a group of 40 Florida attendees, who gathered together to share information about the current status of stormwater research, to an event that attracts 250 stormwater professionals from all across the country,” said Betty Rushton, District environmental scientist. Rushton and Eric Livingston from FDEP co-chaired the conference.
Session moderators were: David Tomasko, Ph.D., environmental manager; Gordon McClung, P.E., engineering manager; Lisann Morris, P.E., professional engineer; Jim Griffin, Ph.D., senior environmental scientist; Mike Holtkamp, senior professional engineer; Chris Zajac, environmental scientist; and Denise Tenuto, environmental coordinator.
Rushton, McClung, Griffin and Zajac also presented studies during the conference.
Rushton led two sessions on best management practices. Her presentations were the “Broadway Outfall Retrofit Project” and “Performance of a Stormwater Wet Pond with Side Bank Filters.”
McClung and Griffin both had presentations on modeling and watershed management. McClung’s presentation was “Southwest Florida Water Management District Watershed Management Program — The Data Piece and Tools to Manage.” Griffin’s presentation was “Restoration of Lake Seminole in Pinellas County, Florida: The Scientific, Programmatic and Public Policy Aspects of Urban Lake Restoration.” Zajac’s presentation was “Stormwater Pond Treatment Efficiency Evaluation.”